(For those not familiar with this novel, this was extremely hard to get access to for years, but there's now a Kindle version.)

This was L'Engle's second novel and the only one that was never republished. It seems L'Engle wasn't particularly fond of it. It definitely has signs of being an early novel, but it was still a good read. Although it's not as positive or, to use a word I don't think L'Engle would not object to, redemptive as many of her later novels, it does explore many of the same themes of the ways humans are unintentionally cruel to each other and the stresses of the modern world on traditional world views. Even if it's not L'Engle at her best, it's still clearly in the same space.

This novel was ultimately a little dissatisfying. Not because of how the plot went in broad strokes. Not much happened, but this novel was a character study of Ilsa through the eyes of a flawed and biased narrator, Henry. Rather, it's because, I think, L'Engle didn't know then what really happened to the characters after the novel. This is independent of the decision to keep things ambiguous for the reader.
(I have no evidence this was the case. It's just the sense I get.)

Whether or not that's true, L'Engle eventually shows us a little about what happens to Henry and Ilsa. You can search for yourself. The Joys of Love and A House Like a Lotus provide the clues of how they fit into her larger timeline. ( )

I have read every Madeleine L'Engle novel and while I like some much better than others I enjoy all of them at least in part. This is not one of my favorite books by her but it is still quite good. Her writing style always engages me and I find at least one character in every one of her books that I can relate to in some way. ( )

This was my first novel by Madeleine L’Engle and for the most part, I found it an engaging and enjoyable read. I definitely was more interested in the first half of the novel, but found last half a bit disappointing.

The disappointment is mainly due to the character of Henry. We meet Henry as a young boy when he discovers a new friend, Ilsa, who is a few years older. He becomes fascinated by Ilsa. As the years pass, Henry never grows out of this fascination, even though he spends several years away from her. In the novel, we never see Henry in any setting that does not involve Ilsa, so it seems we are only privy to one aspect of his character.

When Henry decides to go home, he naturally gravitates to Ilsa again. I felt like at this point the novel lost it’s steam due to the fact that Henry never seems to grow (or grow up). He has no drive or ambition and seems to follow Ilsa much as a loyal dog follows its master. Henry became quite pathetic to me. As an adult, he had opportunities to try and take his relationship with Ilsa to the next level, but never acted upon them. By the time he did, Ilsa did not see him as a romantic partner and certainly she may never have seen him in that role.

There are several themes running throughout the novel that would make for great discussion. L’Engle presents the subjects of dysfunctional families, marital abuse, alcoholism and bigotry, among other things. She also presents some eccentric Southern characters who are able to demonstrate love and acceptance, a sense of responsibility towards others and the value of close family ties.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Ilsa and look forward to reading more from L’Engle in the future. I think any reader who likes Ann Patchett will enjoy this novel as well. There are a few typos in the kindle edition I read that need correcting, but this did not affect the content in any way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )